NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Highlighted by a pair of pitching gems and four homers, the Boston University softball team blanked Merrimack in a doubleheader sweep Tuesday afternoon.
With the two shutouts, the Terriers (19-10) extend their win streak to seven games, while the Warriors drop to 4-14. Junior
Kasey Ricard (12-6) tallied 14 strikeouts against two hits in the 7-0 victory, and freshman
Ava Johnson (2-1) followed with a season-high seven strikeouts against three hits for an 8-0 (5) run-rule win.
At the plate, junior and reigning Patriot League Player of the Week
Brooke Deppiesse went a combined 4-for-6 with two RBIs and three runs scored, while sophomore
Kylie Doherty reached home a team-high four times thanks in part to two homers and three walks. Sophomore
Libby Walsh joined Deppiesse in going yard once en route to three runs and three RBIs, a number matched by freshman
Addie Lucier.
GAME 1: BU - 7, Merrimack - 0
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Terriers quickly jumped on the scoreboard with senior Sydney Pecoraro doubling home both Doherty (walk) and Deppiesse (single) for a 2-0 lead.
- Merrimack threatened in the second with a single and two-out walk, but Ricard earned a swinging strikeout to keep the Warriors off the scoreboard.
- Doherty sparked a three-run fifth inning with a lead-off solo homer that eventually led to Walsh delivering a two-RBI single up the middle.
- BU added two more runs in the sixth on Deppiesse's RBI sac fly and sophomore Sophie Naivar's two-out RBI walk.
- Ricard ended the bottom half on two strikeouts and started the seventh with two more before earning a ground out for the shutout victory.
GAME 2: BU - 8, Merrimack - 0 (5 inn.)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Doherty again set the tone batting lead-off, as she launched a pitch toward left field for the 1-0 lead.
- Deppiesse followed with a single and advanced to third on two walks to set up junior Aimee Metz's RBI walk.
- Lucier added two more runs by hitting a two-out double to left center to grab a 4-0 lead.
- The Warriors started off with a lead-off double and sacrifice bunt, but Johnson recorded back-to-back strikeouts to keep Merrimack off the scoreboard.
- After hitting a solo homer in the top of the second, Deppiesse helped turn a 6-4-3 double play to end the bottom half.
- In the third, Walsh delivered the Terriers' third solo blast toward left center, and BU scored two more runs in the fifth on RBI grounders from senior Tyesha Williams and Lucier.
- Johnson recorded two strikeouts in the fourth and sealed her first career solo shutout win with two more strikeouts.
UP NEXT
- BU will return home and host Colgate in a PL series with both Saturday's (March 29) DH and Sunday's (March 30) single-game contest set for a 12 p.m. first pitch.
- The Terriers won all three meetings last year on the road with two shutouts (6-0, 16-0) and a 4-2 (8) victory.